What Is This World Coming To?

As we approached Bethlehem, we saw a section of the security wall under construction.  Later today we will get a more “up close & personal” view of this much needed barrier, and the security that it provides.  Seeing this made me think of Ezekiel 38:11, “And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.”  In order to be living in “unwalled villages” there has to be a wall to take down first.  I believe Jack has mentioned this in the past.

The City of Bethlehem was not originally on our itinerary, but due to some unknown power that Boaz possessed, we were able to enter this Palestinian controlled city.  The problem was, Boaz is an Israeli citizen, and therefore was not allowed entry.  I was very pleased that we could go there, but at the same time, it upset me to know that Jews are not allowed.  Just another example of the contempt the Arabs, and the world, hold for God’s Chosen People.

As we approached the check point, Boaz got off the bus, and Atef drove through the gate, into the city.  We then stopped to pick up Adel, our Palestinian guide, for our tour of Bethlehem.  Almost immediately, we realized that not only is Adel a very outgoing person, he is also a Christian, and we knew we were in good hands.  Again, Atef was able to demonstrate his exceptional driving skills, manuvering this large bus through the very narrow streets.  We then pulled into a very tight squeeze of a parking ramp, where we left the bus, went up a couple flights of stairs into a mall, and down the hall to a very expansive dinning room.  Not only was this place large, it was immaculate, with every table set to perfection, and beautiful pictures of Israel’s history hanging on the walls.  We all enjoyed a delicious buffet style lunch, and they even served mashed potatoes.  From the veranda, I was able to get a picture overlooking the city.

After lunch, we went back downstairs, boarded the bus, and proceeded to The Church of the Nativity.  The church was built above the Grotto of the Nativity, which is the traditional place of Jesus’ birth.  This spot is designated by a fourteen point silver star in the marble floor.  Next to this is the Holy Manger, hewn out of stone and covered with marble strips, and an alter devoted to the Three Wise Men.  When the Persians invaded the Holy Land, they destroyed all of the Christian churches they found, except The Church of the Nativity.  Finding the mosaics depicting the wise men, they were astonished, and left the church intact, out of respect to them.  Just a few steps away is the Chapel of the Innocents, dedicated to the Jewish males, two years old and younger, that were slaughtered by Herod after he heard of the birth of Jesus, King of the Jews.  We all crowded into this small chapel, where Jack led us in The Lords Prayer.

We had to walk a few blocks back to the bus, and I felt so blessed to be able to walk the streets of this very special city.

After further demonstrations of Atef’s driving skills, we arrived at the Three Arches Gift Shop, where we all bought items for ourselves and the folks back home.  It was now time for that “up close & personal” experience with the security wall.  There was a line of traffic in front of us, so it took some time to make our way to the check point.  When we were just a couple vehicles from the gate I understood why it had taken so long.  There were actually two check points.  The first one was just like a toll booth, with an “arm” barricade they would raise to let you through.  Some drivers were getting out to show their papers before being allowed to pass.  When it was our turn Atef pulled up to the booth, said something to the Palestinian guards, and they raised the arm for us to proceed.  Just ahead was another check point.  This one had an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian guard.  The Israeli soldier was checking out each vehicle thoroughly.  When our bus was next, Atef opened the door and the soldier entered at the front.   With his M-16 held in front of him, he slowly walked down the aisle, looking each one of us square in the face.  When he reached the back of the bus he left through the rear door and did a quick check of our luggage compartment before waving us through.  We had passed through this security barrier twice today, and the only time we were properly screened was when we were entering Israeli controlled territory.

We traveled a short distance before picking up Boaz.  Even though we had all enjoyed Adel and felt very secure under his care, we were very happy to see Boaz.  It felt like the whole family was back together again.  We drove on a bit further to a vantage point and recieved our first glimpse of  Jerusalem, the City of David.  The entire Old City was spread out before us.  From this vantage point we could see the Old City wall, the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock, as well as Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives.  It was truly breathtaking as well as inspiring.

We then went to the Prima Royale Hotel, in downtown Jerusalem, to check in and get some rest before dinner.  Tomorrow we will venture out to explore The Holy City.